YES Lessons From Mary: Satisfaction vs. Fulfillment

What is it that we want in life? What is it that you want? I think at our core we each want a feeling of destiny and purpose. We want to end our lives with a sense of fulfillment, that we have accomplished what we were created for.  The truth is that, even though that is what we want, we aren’t sure how to achieve it and we often settle for less. Why is that? We mistake satisfaction for fulfillment. 

To be satisfied is to “fulfill the needs, expectations, desires or demands of (a person).” Think of Mary. As a young, obedient Jewish girl she was fulfilling the expectations and desires of those around her, her parents, her community.. She knew the demands. She knew what was expected of her. She knew what she thought God expected of her and her life was built around fulfilling those expectations. She was satisfied, perhaps even content, “in a state of peaceful happiness,” Doesn’t that all sound good? Don’t you and I also want to feel satisfied and content? Do we?

For me, I was satisfied and content. I knew that I was fulfilling the expectations, desires and demands of those around me, of the Christian culture that I was a part of, of my family, my husband, even my own expectations. I was content being a stay-at-home mom of small children helping my husband in ministry. I was satisfied and content, but I didn’t have a sense of destiny and purpose. I wasn’t fulfilled. To be fulfilled is to be “satisfied or happy because of fully developing one’s abilities or character.”  I always knew that there must be more for me. I knew that I was not fully developing my abilities or character, but I didn’t know what that would look like or how to get there. I was satisfied and content, so like Mary, I didn’t go looking for anything else. Until something happened. 

What happened to Mary? An angel came to see her and tell her what God wanted from her and she said YES. But she didn’t say yes once. She said it multiple times along her journey and ended up going places and experiencing things she never would have seen if she had remained a satisfied and content obedient Jewish girl. The trajectory of her journey altered with her YES and took her past the cross into the Upper Room through Pentecost and into history. We know her name and look to her example because she said YES and fully developed her abilities and her character. She lived a fulfilled life. 

Certainly, my story is not so dramatic. No angels, but a continuing sense of calling, of God speaking to me, calling me to pursue ministry credentials, calling me to more. It didn’t make sense to my expectations. It was outside my area of comfort. I was satisfied and content, yet I knew that if I didn’t say YES I would be missing something that God had for me.. So, I gave him my YES and stumbled forward. 

Like Mary, my life has never been the same. I have found myself places I never expected to go and done things I never expected to do. I have found myself participating in the purposes of God on the earth and have had the joy of knowing that I am fulfilling my unique mission. Before my YES I was satisfied, even content. But as a result of my YES I find myself living a fulfilled life. It’s not easy. I am constantly challenged to give God another YES, just as Mary was, but every YES brings me closer to fully developing my abilities, and more importantly, my character. I wouldn’t go back to satisfied and content. I’ll take fulfilled and keep giving God my YES. 

What about you?

Key Thought: Satisfied is not fulfilled. 

A Scripture to Consider: 

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.  ‭Psalms‬ ‭138:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

A YES Challenge: Where are you satisfied and content? What might you need to do in order to move toward fulfillment?

Prayer: 

Lord, help me not to settle for satisfied, for fulfilling the expectations of others or myself. Help me to move toward fulfillment, to fully develop the abilities You have given me and to allow You to shape my character. Help me to live my unique mission. Amen. 

YES Lessons from Mary: Waiting Is Worth It

Don’t you hate waiting? I don’t know anyone who likes to wait. Some of us seem to do it better than others, but inside we all have the same struggles. We try to imagine outcomes and want to figure out ways to end the misery of uncertainty with resolution.  We fill our time and our minds with all sorts of distractions, but in the end we know that we are helpless to resolve what only God with time can tie up in a neat bow. 

Mary did a lot of waiting in her lifetime. Think about it! We've become so comfortable with the stories in the Bible that we forget that the people in them were living the events like we do, unclear of the end. First, she received the message from Gabriel that she would be the mother of God’s son and then had to wait to confirm everything. Luke tells us that Mary's next action after receiving the message was to go see Elizabeth, presumably to confirm that she was, indeed, pregnant, as the angel had told Mary(Luke 1:36,39). Elizabeth’s confirmed pregnancy would be proof that Mary hadn't just had a weird dream. Elizabeth’s pregnancy would confirm her own, but it took time to get there and she most likely didn’t have any symptoms of pregnancy at the outset. Perhaps that is why she remained with Elizabeth for three months. By the time she got there she may have begun to experience the fatigue and morning sickness that is part of the first trimester. Anyone who has been pregnant knows that once the symptoms begin, it can be pretty rough for a while. Walking was the primary method of transportation and it's about 70 miles from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Mary most likely would not have been up to the return trip immediately! The wait that was part of her journey had brought confirmation to what she had been told. Circumstances confirmed the angel’s words and brought an end to the first wait. But then she had to wait again. She had to wait to tell Joseph. 

That waiting must have been excruciating. It would be in Joseph’s power to crush her. He could reject her and make her life miserable, proclaim her as an adulterer, humiliate her before the whole village. How well did she know him? Did she know the righteousness of his character that would desire to treat her with kindness? Matthew says that when Joseph knew Mary was pregnant his plan was to divorce her quietly (Matthew 1:19). He didn’t want to publicly humiliate her. But did Mary expect that? 

You and I have been in those waiting times. Sometimes the waiting is worse than the actual event, right? Our minds play out all the possible outcomes. Even if we think things might go a certain way, we have no way of being absolutely certain. Take another look at the nativity story and consider that Mary (and Joseph) may have experienced exactly the same emotional upheaval, the misery of uncertainty  Regardless of what Mary expected, she still had to wait and wonder what Joseph would actually do. 

After Jesus was born there was a different kind of waiting. Now she lived her everyday life and waited for all that had been spoken about this child to come to pass. When it did, was it what she had expected?  She had to wait and watch him die, not knowing that this waiting would bring him back in three days. After he died there was waiting to see what life would be like without him, but then…he arose! Where was she when she heard that news? How long did she have to wait to see it with her own eyes? And then…what would happen next?

We don't know quite when it happened, but Mary became a committed believer. We know she obeyed the instruction given to all the disciples and was present among those who were in the Upper Room waiting again, this time for the promised Holy Spirit. At the end of Mary's waiting life she experienced what her first response, "May your word to me be fulfilled" (Luke 1:38 NLT),  cleared the path for, an eternity of fulfilled promises.  

What are you waiting for right now? I can't tell you how long you will wait or what challenges will be part of the process, but I can tell you that it will be worth it. Really! I think that Mary would agree. 

Key thought: Waiting is worth it. 

A Scripture to Consider: 

For no matter how many promises God has made, the are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the  "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.  2 Corinthians 1:20

A YES challenge: Where are you experiencing the misery of uncertainty? How can you give God your YES while you wait for Him?

Prayer:

Lord, I don't know how all of this is going to turn out. I really hate this not knowing! Help me to remember that You will fulfill your promises to me and to all who call on Your name. Help me to believe that it really will be worth it. Amen.

YES Lessons from Mary: Don't Forget to Remember

Mary is such an iconic figure in religious history that she has often been portrayed as perfect. She is an awesome example of a woman of faith, but there are indications that she didn't always get it right. It's true!

The Scriptures tell us a lot about Mary, especially in the book of Luke.. Luke refers to "eyewitnesses" and "careful investigation" and some scholars believe there is a very good chance that Mary was a primary source for his gospel narrative.  That would make the account of the birth of Jesus that many people read every Christmas Eve an accurate description of the events. If she was a primary source, then a good deal of what we read about Mary in Luke can be considered first hand information. 

With that in mind, there is an interesting story that could have come right from Mary in Luke 8:19-21. It describes Mary and her other sons standing outside a place where Jesus was teaching and calling for him. The story also appears in Mark 3:20-36 and Matthew 12:46-50. When Jesus is told that his mother and brothers (the Greek word could also mean brothers and sisters) wanted to see him, “He replied, 'My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.'" (Luke 8:21). Instead of affirming the importance of family relationships as would have been expected, he took the opportunity to teach that relationship with God was a higher priority than family relationships. Mary is left standing outside with her other sons. Not given a priority place with Jesus. Even rejected by Jesus. How could it be?

It's not really clear what the motivation is for Jesus' family to try to collect him. Perhaps they were embarrassed by his popularity and by what he was teaching. It was already apparent that the religious leaders were unhappy with him. That could stir up trouble for the whole family. Or, perhaps they feared the attention of the Romans.  The account in Mark goes so far as to say that they thought he was out of his mind! Imagine that! His family, brothers and sisters and....mother? Did Mary really believe he had lost his mind?  Didn't she remember his amazing birth? The shepherds? The wise men? The angel? What about all the treasures she had stored up in her heart and pondered?

How did Mary, the woman who received the angel's announcement with willingness and treasured the many words spoken about her infant and pondered them in her heart, become one standing on the outside being turned away by Jesus?  What might have caused her to leave behind every promise she could not have forgotten and stand with those who said Jesus was crazy? What if the answer is as simple as forgetting to remember?

At least thirty years has passed since the birth of Jesus at this point. A lot of living has happened. Years of caring for children and running a home. The normal passage of time brought the loss of family members, most likely including Joseph. There was the constant activity of community life and the continual backdrop of the Romans. Don't forget the oppression by the Romans. All of these things would have filled Mary's mind and gained her attention. Add to that the voices of those who hadn't experienced what she had experienced, those who hadn't received the promises first hand, such as her other children. What if Mary had just lost track of the truth in the rhythm of regular life? She was human, right? It happens.

Normal life takes a lot of our energy and brain space. Raising a family. Taking care of our home. Earning a living. Community responsibilities. The constant turmoil of the political climate and world events. All these things can scream very loudly for our attention. In the midst of the cacophony, do you ever lose track of the promises God has spoken? Do you ever forget to remember?

You aren't alone and Mary is a reminder that it can even happen to those we admire most. We know that she found her way back to belief.  She was at the cross when Jesus died and among the first believers waiting in Jerusalem for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, along with Jesus' brothers who became leaders in the early church. (Acts 1:14) Somehow she remembered. She returned to the treasures she had stored up and found them to be even more glorious than she had first thought. You can, too.

Even though she had forgotten them for a while, Mary had the unique experience of seeing every promise she had ever received fulfilled in her lifetime. Not many people ever get that opportunity, but if we choose to remember God's promises in the rhythm of our regular life we will experience the joy of hope and the motivation of expectation that makes life sparkle. Don't forget to remember!

Key thought: Don't forget to remember.

A Scripture to Consider:

He replied, My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” ‭Luke‬ ‭8:21‬ ‭NIV

A YES challenge: What are some promises from God that you may have lost track of in the midst of normal life? Take some time to recall them and refresh your faith. 

Prayer: 

Father, life is loud. Sometimes it drowns out Your voice. Help me to recall and to reflect on Your promises. Help me to keep Your Word in the forefront of my thoughts and fix my attention on what You have declared. Regardless of the other things  happening in my life and in the world let the focus of my heart be on You and Your promises. Amen. 

YES Lessons From Mary: Accept the Unexpected

Mary went through a lot in her lifetime, but we never get the sense that she strayed from her trust in God. The evidence of trust in the young girl who said "Be it done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38) remains until the last mention of Mary in Scripture, gathering with the first group of believers in Jerusalem, praying and waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1:14). We can draw the conclusion that she was there and experienced the birth of the church with Peter and the others mentioned there. 

So, what would be the secret to her staying power? How did she live the YES life through the ups and downs of so much change and challenge? Since Joseph is not mentioned past the time when, at twelve, Jesus was found in the temple talking with the teachers, it's likely she lost her husband at an early age. She witnessed her son straying from the normal life path for people of her community, becoming an itinerant preacher who gained a large following and stirred up strong opposition, until eventually, she stood at the foot of the cross and watched him die. And yet, if she was praying with the early believers she must have also accepted and experienced the joy of his resurrection. What was her secret? What can we learn from her about living the YES life?

In all these things Mary learned to accept the unexpected. From the moment Gabriel showed up and announced the birth of Jesus, her life became a tangent from the expected trajectory of a young Jewish girl in ancient Israel. The truth is that she never knew what to expect and, although at times she may have settled into expecting the normal, it wasn't too long before something reminded her not to get comfortable, to be ready for the next twist in the road. Sound like a familiar experience?Finding Jesus in the temple is just one example of a time like that in Mary's life. You can read it in Luke 2:41-52

As a faithful Jewish family, Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and probably some of Jesus' siblings, had traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover festival as required by the Jewish law. No surprise there. They had done it the previous year and would do it again the next. But this time Jesus caught them off-kilter. A day into the journey home they found that he was missing. Definitely not part of the routine. After three days (three days!) they found him in the temple talking with the teachers. What was that about?! What twelve year old WANTS to talk to teachers in any time period! Since there aren't any earlier recorded instances of Jesus catching his parents off-guard this was probably the first significant reminder that this son of hers was not going to follow the expected course. Mary was reminded to accept the unexpected as part her journey. She was reminded to give God her YES. 

What about you and me?  As I look back I see lots of twists in my path. There have been times that I thought I was heading straight toward a certain destination, no obstacles, victory in sight! I was making good time with my eye on the summit, comfortable, even excited. Suddenly, my road made a hairpin curve. I totally lost sight of the victory I thought was mine. I was confused. Lost. Disappointed. Angry. You've been there, too. You know exactly what I mean. 

When everything inside is screaming, "It wasn't supposed to be like this!" we have a choice to make. Do we try to regain the anticipated life or do we receive the life that God has mapped out? We can try to force things to work as we expected or we can take a cue from Mary and accept the unexpected. 

It's part of the YES life. 

Key thought: Accept the unexpected.

A Scripture to consider: 

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19  

But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. Luke 2:51

A YES challenge: Where has your life path recently turned in a way you didn't anticipate? How can you demonstrate your YES and accept the unexpected?

Prayer:

God, I didn't expect to be where I am right now. I didn't anticipate my loved one making that choice that rocked my world. I wasn't prepared for that financial setback. It really wasn't supposed to be this way! I choose now to say YES to my life as it is right now and trust You to show me yourself in the midst of it. I ask You to make me aware of Your presence and fill me with Your Spirit. I want to honor you in this and accept what You have allowed to come my way. I love You. Amen. 

YES Lessons from Mary: The YES Life

The YES Adventure is a life of saying YES to God. We've pretty well established that. But, what does that look like? Who is a good representative of the YES life, someone who said yes continually? One of the best biblical examples of someone living the YES adventure is Mary, the mother of Jesus. 

We all know the story of the angel Gabriel coming to tell Mary that she had been chosen, out of the thousands of young Jewish women in Israel at that time, to become the mother of God's son. Put yourself in her shoes for a minute. This young, Jewish girl, doing her best to follow God, living according to the cultural norms of her day, betrothed by her father's plan, doing the things that were expected of her. Suddenly, she experiences an event way outside the norm. An angel visits her. An angel! She recognizes God at work, but is most likely shocked at what the angel proposes. A baby?  In the betrothal period, she was considered Joseph's wife, but the marriage would not be consummated until the end of that period. How would she explain a baby? How could she convince anyone that it was God's baby? How will Joseph react? How will her family react? What will happen to her? She could be divorced, disowned, disgraced, even stoned. Yet, she doesn't let the questions stop her from saying YES. She accepts whatever may happen as the result of her YES without knowing what those consequences might be. She placed herself completely in God's hands. 

In Luke 1:38 Mary gives the answer that begins her YES adventure. She says "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Other translations say "as you said" or "may your word to me be fulfilled." Your YES adventure and mine begins the same way. We put ourselves completely in God's hands and say "God, do what You want with me." 

Mary's YES allowed her to participate in the purposes of God. Her no would have excluded her from God's purposes. She knew that there was a risk involved. She had questions that were not answered in a concrete way. All she knew was that God was asking something of her. God had given her a mission, to bear his Son. How could she turn him down? So, Mary's YES adventure began. She gave God her YES. He did the rest. 

What is God asking of you? As you recognize Him at work, calling you, there is really only one thing to do if you want to live this adventure of a YES life. Say YES and leave the rest to him. Mary will tell you that, although it is scary, God can be trusted and it's worth the risk. 

Key thought: Give God your YES.  Trust Him with the rest. 

A Scripture to consider: 

And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Luke 1:38 ESV

A YES challenge: What is God asking of you that will involve risk and requires your YES? Decide how you will respond today. Don't put it off any longer.

Prayer:

Father, it's scary, this thought of giving You my YES without knowing how everything is going to turn out. I'll be honest. I am intimidated by the risks. I'd really like to have an idea where all of this will lead, but today I choose to stand with Mary and put my life completely in Your hands. Today I give you my YES and trust You to do the rest. Amen.

Cultivate Grateful: What's Your Story?

Think about it: What is your story? Where were you this time a year ago? 5 years ago? Ten years ago? 

One of the traps people have always fallen into is forgetting where they have come from. Read the Old Testament and you'll see it over and over again.  God's people forgot that they were slaves and God sent Moses to deliver them. They forgot that they while they were wandering in the wilderness because of their unbelief, God provided for them. They forgot how He split the Red Sea or opened a path through the Jordan River, or sent food they didn't have to grow or hunt for in manna and quail. It goes on and on. 

The Scriptures bear witness that God's people continually, even habitually, forget what God has done for them in the past, complain about their present, and don't expect God to fulfill His promise for the future. As much as we hate to admit it, you and I are just as prone to such forgetting. It's not pretty. And, although hate to admit it about ourselves, we most certainly will recognize it in our spouse or the person who sits in the other side of the church. But take a hard look at yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to convict your own pattern of repeated history forgetfulness. Once you've admitted it, you are in a perfect place to truly cultivate grateful. Remembering where we came from and what God has done in our lives will always spark thanks. Without exception. 

The psalmists understood this. That's why a good number of the psalms are testimony psalms. So many of the psalms look at current distress through the lens of past deliverance. The writer builds future faith through remembering God's past faithfulness. There are even psalms designed to remind all God's people as a group of what He has done for them, how He led them out of slavery and through the Red Sea, defeating Pharoah through plagues and a miraculous opening and closing of water. The psalmists understood their own tendency to forget as they observed the forgetfulness of all their ancestors. 

God isn't put off by our tendency to forget Him. That's why He has built into our experience the ordinances of water baptism and celebration of communion, or the Eucharist, which by the way, comes from a Greek word that means "thanksgiving." The whole purpose of communion is to remind us of what Christ did on the cross so that we will be inspired to give thanks. The purpose of communion is to cultivate grateful. 

Thanksgiving time, whether the holiday we celebrate or the celebration of the Eucharist, is a good time to look back and remember your own story. What is your story? What has God done for you?

What's my story? God rescued me from myself, from feeling like I had to be good, even perfect, in order to be acceptable and loved, not just by God, but by anyone. When I surrendered my life to Christ I began to discover satisfaction and fulfillment beyond all that I could imagine. It's been a continuing journey of leaving behind comfort and control to embrace an expanding experience of joy and strength through stretching. Every YES along the way has been a doorway to a new understanding of God and a deeper knowledge of my true self, the me God designed me to be. Even as I write this I am overwhelmed with thanks. He has brought me so far and I know there is still farther to go. 

I guess that's the greatest benefit of cultivating grateful through remembering your story. When you realize just how far God has brought you, it encourages you to keep saying YES and to continue the adventure. 

Cultivate grateful. What's your story? Let remembering your past inspire you to reach toward God's future for you because your story is far from over. 

Key thought: Remembering my past inspires my future. 

A Scripture to consider: 

Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. Psalms 107:8 

A YES challenge: Take some time to reflect on your story. Give thanks to God for how far He has brought you and commit to giving Him Your YES going forward. 

Prayer: 

Father, as I look back on all You have done for me I can't help but overflow with thanks. I see how far You have brought me. I am not the same person I was and I know it wasn't through my own efforts.  It's a work of Your ever-present grace in my life. I choose today to put my trust in Your future for me because I remember how faithful You have been in my past. I give you my YES again because I know You will continue to do wonderful things in my life. Amen. 

Cultivate Grateful: Getting God-Centered

Have you ever thought about what a grateful heart does for you? What's the benefit to cultivating grateful? How does gratefulness affect us and our relationships? Most especially, how does cultivating grateful affect our relationship with God. 

In his book Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God Pastor Tim Keller contemplates the most familiar prayer of all time as a model for building our communication with God. He considers what we call "The Lord's Prayer" as a structure for approaching our Heavenly Father. As I read Pastor Keller's thoughts it seemed to me that cultivating grateful is a key to opening the door to experiencing God's presence. 

Keller says, "Adoration and thanksgiving - God-centeredness- comes first. Because it heals the heart of self-centeredness, which curves us in on ourselves and distorts all our vision."(p.114)

When I cultivate a grateful heart I am more able to recognize God's majesty and goodness. A grateful heart can glimpse God's great love and longs to honor and obey Him in response. A grateful heart opens the door to closeness with God. 

When I am grateful toward God, my focus is on God. Whereas, if I am ungrateful toward anyone, God especially, then my focus is on me - what I want and didn't get or what I got and didn't want. My me-focused self is unable to lovingly call on "Our Father". My me-focused self is unable to meditate on the holiness and majesty of God. With that limited vision how can I even begin to think about doing God's will or expanding His kingdom, the heart of a YES-life? 

Cultivating grateful helps me to be satisfied with "daily bread" rather than always wanting more. It helps me to recognize my own need for the gift of forgiveness and makes me more able to give it. When I am ungrateful, self-focused, I'm less likely to recognize temptation and evil in my own heart because I am more focused on getting my way then giving God His way. Through gratefulness I open myself to the formation of Christ-like character. Gratefulness invites God's presence into my character and allows God to teach me His ways.  I give God access to having His way in me. 

Cultivating grateful helps you and me to get God-centered. A God-centered life is a life full of God's presence. Are you ready to begin to experience the benefit of cultivating grateful? 

How about starting small? For the next 24 hours be intentional about cultivating grateful. As you are choosing to be grateful, be intentional about noticing what happens. Notice what happens in your situation. Notice what happens to the people around you. How does it affect your experience of God's presence with you on a moment by moment basis?

When you get to the end of your twenty-four hours, prayerfully look back on your day. If you notice a benefit, then make a commitment to try it again the next day. And so on. And so on. 

Cultivate grateful and cultivate a God-centered, God-filled life. 

Key thought: Cultivate grateful and get God-centered.

A Scripture to Consider: 

With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best— as above, so below. Matthew 6:8-10 MSG

A YES challenge: Be intentional about cultivating grateful for the next 24 hours.

Prayer: 

Father, I want to experience Your presence more regularly. Help me to cultivate grateful as a way to cultivate a life that is centered on You instead of on me. I choose to be grateful for what I have without complaining about what I don't have. I choose to accept what You have given me, my life as it is, rather than longing for more. I want to honor You in everything and give You my YES. Amen. 

Cultivate Grateful: In Everything

I know that you want to be someone who says YES to God. It's the motivating factor of your life, isn't it? Yet, there may be an aspect of saying YES to God that you hadn't quite contemplated yet. 

Don't stop reading now! I promise you, this will be worth it! Part of being a person who says YES is to cultivate grateful. I know! That's tough, right? It's easy to evaluate our circumstances sometimes and excuse ourselves from gratefulness. I mean, look how tough everything is! Maybe it's your finances or your relationships. Maybe it's your own health or the health of someone you love. Maybe your job is wearing you out. Maybe you feel like you have been giving your all for God and getting nothing back. "If God is supposed to work out all things for good in my life (Romans 8:28), then why do so many things seem to be bad?" you may be saying. 

I don't want to minimize anything that you are going through. It's tough, and that's the truth. However, I want to park on a verse from the Bible that may help you get some perspective on what you are going through and help you get to a new level of YES. Are your ready? Are you willing? 

Here we go: "In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (I Thessalonians 5:18 NASB)

IN everything. Let's start there. It's important to note that little word, IN. It doesn't say FOR everything. There are some things it would just make no sense to thank God for. But IN. Now that's different! I can thank God IN my financial difficulty. I can thank God IN my health crisis. I can thank God IN my relational trauma. I can thank God IN the midst of just about anything. 

Why? Because God's goodness and character don't change even when my circumstances do. He remains the same. He remains faithful. He remains loving. He remains powerful. He remains God. 

In EVERYTHING. Everything? Really?! What about....? You fill in the blank. Yes, even that. Saying YES to God means thanking Him in the midst of that unnameable, unexplainable, unimaginable, unpardonable, unwanted circumstance. Not FOR, but IN EVERYTHING. 

I don't know why God allowed that situation to come into your life. I can't explain it. I can't defend it. But I can remind you, Dear One, that the Father who allowed it sees the end from the beginning. He knows how it is going to turn out and He is with you in the midst of it and working for your best interest. He really is. Why?

Because, at the end of the day, the thing that matters most, the thing you and I most need to remember about God, is that He is a God of love. He IS love. (1 John 4:8) Whatever He does, whatever He allows, whatever He doesn't do, is motivated by His love. That is something we can be grateful for. IN EVERYTHING.

Key thought: Cultivate grateful. 

A Scripture to Consider: 

In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:18 NASB

A YES challenge: Is there any circumstance you have found yourself grumbling about? How can you cultivate grateful today? 

Prayer: 

Lord, You know what I am going through. I don't like it and I wish it wasn't happening, but it is. Help me to remember Your unfailing, never-ending, overflowing love even IN this. I choose to give You thanks today. Amen. 

If I Just Knew...

I'm not usually one to panic. I'm usually the steady one. So what happened?! 

Tom and I were on a cruise to celebrate our thirtieth anniversary. I know, a cruise sounds luxurious, but this was the first time we had ever experienced seas so rough that it was sometimes frightening.  Not only that, the motion was making Tom feel so sick that much of the time all he was up to doing was lying in our cabin to rest or watch movies. This morning Tom was hoping to feel better so we decided to leave the cabin for a while and let the steward attend to it. I had to finish something, so Tom went ahead of me up to the relatively quiet lounge with a panoramic ocean view where we expected to find a place to read for a while. When I went up to the lounge a few minutes later, I couldn't find him. 

"If he was going to go somewhere else shouldn't he have come back and told me?" I grumbled inside. Where was he? A bench in the hall near our cabin was a good place to wait for Tom to pass by me on his way back to explain the change of plans, so I settled in and did some reading. Another check of my watch. Maybe I missed him? I headed back to the freshly cleaned cabin. Empty. What now? I waited while the ship tossed and the clock ticked. No cell service at sea. How could I get in touch with him? How could I find him? The ship was big enough that we could easily miss each other. I retraced my steps to the lounge where we had planned to meet. He was definitely not there. How about downstairs to the gallery lounge that we had hung out in previously? Didn't see him there. Back to the cabin to wait. Not there. 

All this time, I was praying, but the longer this unknowing lasted the more I could feel panic rising in me. It didn't make sense. My rational mind knew that Tom was probably fine, even though I hadn't heard from him for a couple hours, but I couldn't relax and emotion was taking over. I knew panic wasn't going to help me, but there it was and I didn't know what to do about it. My prayers became tearful and pleading. "God, I just need to know that he's okay. Show me where he is. Help me stop panicking!"  The cabin stayed silent and my heart continued to rock with the ship.

"God, I just need to know what is going on. I need some information so that I know what to do," I finally prayed. This prayer was different. Less panicked.  More resolved. A few moments later Tom called the cabin. The ocean view had made him feel worse so he had moved to the gallery lounge, but had not felt able to get up and call me until then. I had missed him when I had looked there. Now, I knew what to do. Down to the gallery lounge I went. The unknowing resolved. 

What was that all about? It's confused me for a while, but I think I understand now. What I wanted was to know the whole picture. You know what I mean, "I can endure this as long as I know what's happening." I wanted to know WHY. But I didn't and as long as that was my internal demand, I was undone. What made that last prayer different? I was no longer craving the overview in order to resolve myself. I just asked for the next step. Not WHY, but WHAT. Is that what God was waiting for? 

Sometimes my desire to know why is really a desire to control. If I just knew... how this was going to resolve, then I could endure. If I just knew why this was happening I would be at peace. If I just knew... I guess the posture I need to take is "I just need enough information to know what to do next and I will trust You for the rest of it." Sometimes the question to ask is not "Why" but "What".

Key thought: To give God your YES may be to ask "What" instead of "Why".  

A Scripture to consider: 

When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. Psalm 142:3 NIV

A YES challenge: Are you asking God "Why"? How could you change your question to "What"?

Prayer: 

Father, I want to trust You. It seems easier to trust you when I understand why things are happening, but I know that You often don't give me that explanation. Help me to trust You for the outcome. What is the next step for me today? Amen. 

When the Fog Settles In

When Tom and I travel we love to take long drives and explore, especially when we are in a new place. On our first trip to Rhode Island we found ourselves on such a drive. We would have been at Miscuamicut Beach soaking in the sun and breathing in the sea, but the clouds were obscuring the sun and the fog blurred out the sea. 

We planned our route by map. Remember maps? Those paper things people used before phones could access GPS and give us turn-by-turn directions? We planned to stop at the lighthouse near Point Judith and then drive up the coast to Narragansett. According to the map, we arrived at Point Judith. We didn’t see the lighthouse anywhere. In fact, we couldn’t even see the ocean, the fog was so thick. After a while, we realized that we were in the right place, we just couldn’t see the lighthouse because of the fog. So, we drove on up the coast. The rock wall along the road was the border between us and the ocean. According to the map the ocean was there. According to our eyes, there was only a wall of grey, cloudiness. We reached Narragansett and looked around a bit, then returned to our hotel. 

The next day greeted us with clear skies and sunshine so we decided to retrace our tire tracks and try for the lighthouse again. We were amazed to see just how close we had been to it the day before without even a hint that it was right there! Not only that, but the location opened up on some breathtaking ocean views that had been totally obscured by the fog. 

The ride to Narragansett was equally astonishing. There was the ocean on the other side of the rock wall! So close that I could easily toss a stone into it if we stopped along the way. Yet, on our previous ride it had been completely invisible.

As I  looked with wonder on the beauty that we had missed on our foggy journey, I became aware of God's whisper. "Remember this the next time you can't find Me." That made the sun even more brilliant and the sky even more radiant. I was seeing His presence in every glint off a wave. 

There are moments in our lives when it seems like God is nowhere to be found. We cry out for Him. He seems absent and His hand is unrecognizable in our circumstances. Maybe you are going through such a time right now. Hang on. Like the lighthouse hidden in the fog, He's closer than you think. Like the ocean hidden by the grey wall of clouds, He is there, just as His word says He is. 

Our journey through the Rhode Island fog made clear just how deceiving my senses can be. What I couldn't see was still there.  What the map said was true. There was a lighthouse. The ocean was on the other side of the rock wall. In the same way, when I can't feel God's presence, He is still there. What the Bible says is true, even when I can't see it. Even when I follow what it says and I seem to be at the wrong place. Everything I am looking for is still there and I can be sure that eventually the sun will shine again and He will show me the beauty I missed when the fog settled in. 

Ar you facing fog today, dear friend? Keep to the road. Follow the map. He's nearer than you think. 

Key Thought: God is nearer than you think.

A Scripture to Consider: 

The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth." Psalm 145: 18

A YES Challenge: Is the "fog" of life obscuring your sense of God's presence? Commit to stay on the path until He becomes clear again.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes I just can't see You at work in my life or in the things happening around me. Help me to remember that You are near and stay the course with You no matter what. Amen.